The White House press room hasn’t seen a briefing since Monday, but members of the press corps are still showing up to the empty room.
The White House has cancelled its press briefings for four days straight, CNN’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta wrote in a tweet on Friday afternoon.
“For the fourth straight day there was no WH briefing. No officials to explain how the admin plans to return the separated kids to their parents. This is how the briefing room looks.. a few reporters waiting for answers that aren’t coming yet,” Acosta wrote.
He included a picture of the briefing room, showing several reporters waiting inside, despite the absence of White House communications officials.
For the fourth straight day there was no WH briefing. No officials to explain how the admin plans to return the separated kids to their parents. This is how the briefing room looks.. a few reporters waiting for answers that aren’t coming yet. #whereistheplan #whereispresssec pic.twitter.com/aLok8zcEbc
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 22, 2018
In a separate Tweet, CNN’s “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter added that the White House has held only one press briefing this week.
Just 1 W.H. briefing this week ? https://t.co/uDIAhlXrtm
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 22, 2018
The White House’s decision to cancel its press briefings comes in the midst of a national furor over the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy of separating children from their families at the Mexican border. Although Trump caved to political pressure and announced an executive order ending the policy on Wednesday, it is not yet clear how the administration will reunite the thousands of families that have already been separated.
The White House did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.